Turf Wars, Take 2

[Kinaed]

I got the impression that the recent posters on the last Turf Wars spec hadn't read the new spec, only the original one, so here's a reposting, hopefully easier for people to read and provide feedback:

OVERVIEW
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Turf Wars allows players to spend influence points to 'control' an area or a set
of rooms. When players own an area or set of rooms, they get special advantages
in areas where they've expended influence. The top influencers in an area get
even more benefits.
@
This system should require renewal, but not so often as to be annoying. It
should be an ongoing struggle between parties with a rock-paper-scissors kind of
setup rather than an accumulative setup so that the values used for calculations
do not explode.
@
It should link into a new security system that affects (along with City Metrics)
how an area reports to the law or Order.
@
Besides the math, the system should be flexible to allow individual players to
decide HOW they're influencing an area or a set of rooms.
@
Considerations:
- City Metrics
- Individual Control
- Group Control
- Cycling system versus Cumulative Systems
- Access for new players and old/various group participation
- Impact of rewards on game economy
- Ability for staff to block ownership of certain rooms or ensure ownership
- Change how Guild reporting works so that it focuses on areas guilds are influencing rather than being a general thing that happens
- Room Security system & interplay with it
@
Turf Benefits
- Additional weekly money earned for both individual and guild
- Ability to increase or decrease an area's security in relation to city
metrics
- Ability to set turf moods that people with lesser influence cannot erase
- Ability to summon or disperse crowds/NPC backup/NPCs
- Set a skill bonus
- Free messengers
- Free couriers
- Boost prestige
- Influence Owners get an extra city metric vote?
- Special access to Turf Rumors
- Special access to room flag information
- Ability to adjust a room's crowdsize
@
COMMANDS
@
Syntax: Turf Influence #
Turf Show
Turf Score
Turf List
Turf Mood
Turf Redeem
Turf Hail <NPC>
Turf Dismiss <NPC>
@
Turf Influence Preparation
@
Owner : <default to the player in question>
Influence : <default to current influence + 1 or number input>
Rumor : <rumor about how the player is influencing an area>
@
Type "influence" to spend influence to control this area or "cancel" to abort.
@
iSyntax: Turf History
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INPUTS
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A player walks into a room and uses the "turf show" command to see what the
influence situation is like in an given locale and area. Based on their city
Lore skill, they will get more or less area information.
@
They can then decide to use "turf influence" to put their own influence points on the line to influence a room. Whomever has the highest influence in a room
Controls that room. Room control wraps up to the area control score.
@
ROOM SECURITY
By default, a room's security is equal to an area's security. A staff member can
set a room's security in OLC to override the general area security. If the staff
Member flags the room a security_locked, no city metric or influence action will
affect the room's security value.
@

0 - Lawless
1 - Insecure
2 - Secure
3 - Safe

CROWD SIZE
@
By default, a room's crowd size is 0, meaning no one is in the room. In OLC, a
Staff member can set peak crowd size as follows:
@
0 - deserted
1 - quiet
2 - uncongested
3 - busy
4 - packed
@
Peak crowd sizes are automatically adjusted by time of day as follows: 10am-6pm = peak, 6pm-10pm = peak -1, 10pm-6am = peak -2, 6am-10am = peak -1. If a staff
member flags a room as 'nightlife', then the times reverses with the 10pm-6am being the peak.
@
Crowd size can affect automatic reporting as well as making pickpocketing harder
to spot.

[Geras]

"Ability for staff to block ownership of certain rooms or ensure ownership"

I hope this will be used to keep this thematic to avoid the Vavardi taking over the Charalin camp or the Brotherhood taking over Cityguard HQ.

[Whateverosaur]

I would argue there's nothing more thematic than for the Vavardi to take over the Charalin camp

[Geras]

Mayhaps, but given the Charalin get little to no IP they don't really get to participate in this.

[Inertia]

I'd like to dig into this more and offer some constructive feedback! First, though, I have a major concern about how accessible the system will be to non-GLs or others who already collect IP for other endeavors.

Turf wars feels like it could be a really nice gateway system for "nobodies" who might be interested in getting more involved with coded influence and all it, well... influences!

I think it would be useful to review how IP is generated first, and probably increase the amount anybody can earn "without really trying" so that any PC has more buy-in power from the start, without forcing a player to choose ONLY one IP realm to play in over a cycle. We're just not that big a pbase so that sort of limitation leads to more systems being underutilized in general.